Court relief to Puja Khedkar in fake identity case: 'Immediate custody not needed'

The Delhi High Court on Monday granted former trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar protection from arrest until August 21, directing the Delhi Police not to take her into custody until the next hearing date. Khedkar is accused of misrepresenting and falsifying facts in her application to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Justice Subramonium Prasad issued the order while hearing a plea by Puja Khedkar seeking anticipatory bail.

Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer, was accused of fraudulently availing attempts beyond the permissible limit by faking her identity, including changing her name, her father's and mother's names, her photograph, signature, email ID, mobile number, and address.

The UPSC had lodged a police case against her, leading to her candidature being cancelled on July 31.

Earlier, a Delhi court had refused to grant Khedkar anticipatory bail, citing the need for custodial interrogation to uncover the full conspiracy and potential involvement of others.

The Delhi Police had initiated an investigation, collecting documents and evidence, and were expected to send a notice to Khedkar to join the probe.

Khedkar's legal team, led by advocate Bina Madhavan, had argued that she should be given an opportunity to respond to the allegations and that her withholding of information regarding the number of attempts was a matter of inquiry.

Source: India Today